Daddy
Daddy, why did you go away?
Don't you know I wanted you to stay!
Daddy, when you left mom,
Don't you know you left me too?
Now all I do is cry and cry
--- I want to die!
Daddy, mommy say's it's better this way,
What does she know!
They're not enough band-aids to cover up the blues
Mom's kisses can't heal this kind of pain.
Daddy, I look around
No one stands in your garage
Daddy, You took every tool
Except the hammer and sitting stool
Daddy, I still miss you
--- I love you.
***
Dear Daddy, I'm all grown up now
Haven't seen you since I was 10
Daddy, I sit on your favorite chair,
No longer do I miss the way you caressed my hair.
Daddy, I'm taking the old hammer and this BRAND NEW saw,
It's time to patch all the holes mom punched in the wall
*The day you walked out on us*
Daddy, don't worry about the times I tripped and fell
Mom found someone to fix the loose boards,
Got tired of scraping my knees
Daddy, I finally realized I'm okay,
I agree with mom, it's better this way.
by- Not every dad is great (but step-dad YES!)

He was just a child who wandered off
Lost and alone trying to find his way
Starting to get dark and didn't know where he was
He cried for his mom and began to pray
Being in the woods with no sense of direction
Too dark to see and afraid to run
A stranger appeared out of the darkness
And said don't be afraid, I'll help you, son
Mom had been praying for her lost little boy
Neighbors helped search with the police all around
On the third day, sitting there in a clearing
He was no longer missing, now he was found
Mom hugged her son and started to cry
The little boy said Mom I'll be alright
Where is the stranger that helped me out
He stayed with me through each dark night
He told me when he was a little boy
That once he had gotten lost too
His mom and Dad were very upset
Because they didn't know what to do
Then the little boy shouted, Hey Mom, that's him
I would know him anywhere
When I was lost and so afraid
He came to me and was always there
Look at him Mom, I feel so sad
I don't know what to say
Tell me Mom, what did He do wrong
Why did they hang Him on the cross that way?
If we truly believe, He will always be there when we need Him most.

Unsung Hero – My MomMy Mom has always been unassuming, never flashy,
But her name deserves to be up in bright neon lights.
My magnificent Mom, Olegaria, is my hero!
In her eyes, no one is a zero,
And she is a blessing to all who crosses her path.
Successfully raising her own five children,
She also helped to raise all the stray children in her neighborhood.
Her guiding motto is “You can’t believe in God and
Not care about others - whether it is people, plants, or animals.”An extraordinary human being, generous to a fault,
She would give her last slice of bread
To anyone who needed to be fed.
Nothing, including her time, is too good or too precious
To share with family, friends, and even strangers.
Often she’d sacrifice her own happiness,
If it meant that others would be happy.While Mamacita is very humble, forgiving, and non-judgmental,
She is nobody’s fool and can be a fierce lioness,
Quick to defend her values and those she loves.
Caring mothers like her are especially rare today,
And should be declared national treasures.
Because of her powerful influence and the solid values she instilled,
I am a stronger, kinder, more conscientious, and better person.My Mom helped me to see life in a more positive
And compassionate way – to treat people
How I would like to be treated.
Even though she is not a regular church-goer,
She prays several times daily and her home is her altar.
I thank God every day for blessing me with this wonderful mother,
And for her continued presence in my life.
Mom, you will always be my hero!
Entered in “Unsung Hero Contest” sponsored by Carol Eastman (7-30-
2014).

I hold three magic rocks, in my hand. Rolling them over and over and over. Leaving this
reality behind, far behind I stepped into the magic mirror and there I was back in 1959. It
was the same month, November. I looked around and it was the same as I remember it had
been then. Mom looked so young and beautiful and said, "The school bus will be here in a
few minutes." I looked at the calendar and saw that it was November 25th, the day before
Thanksgiving. I said, "But mom, I haven't been in school in forty years." I got this strange
look from her but she didn't say anything. Walking toward the door I caught a reflection of
myself in the hall mirror. I was so young. My hand immediately went to my face and I
stopped and stared at myself for a few minutes. I said, "Mom, can I stay home and be with
you today?" Again I got that strange look from her, then she smiled and said, "Sure, it's
your last day before Thanksgiving anyway, why not?" She and I sit down and talked for
hours. Then I said, "Do you mind if we go next door and visit with Maw Maw and Paw Paw?
I haven't seen them in so long and I've missed them terribly!" Again another strange look
from mom. Next door I saw Maw Maw and Paw Paw as they had been in 1959. I wept and
they all looked at me so strangely. I hugged them and kissed them all and we talked for
hours. Dad finally came home from work and I ran and hugged him so hard. "Dad why did
you have to leave us in June?" Again I got strange looks from everyone. My tears were
falling. I saw Aunt Frances and Uncle Bill who lived beside Maw Maw and Paw Paw. "I've
missed you both for so long." Strange looks again! They didn't understand because to them,
it was just another day in 1959. The day grew late and I knew my time was soon ending. I
got near the magic mirror and mom and dad were standing there so young and healthy. I
said, "Mom I'll see you on the other side of the mirror, but dad, I'll see you another time,
another place." They didn't understand. I stepped back through and my reflection was as it
had been before. Mom was sitting in her chair at age 84. I said, "Mom, do you remember
the day before Thanksgiving, 1959, when I stayed home from school and we spent the day
together?" She said, "Yes, it was so strange that you could never remember anything about
it. It was as though you had amnesia.

Toll-free is the call on this special day
as my gratitude ascends the umbilical cord,
never severed, even in the afterlife.
“I planted begonias in the garden you nurtured.”
My eyes search the bright spring sky,
“Your favorites, just for you on Mother’s Day.”
Decades have passed,
yet that special mother/daughter bond
finds me planting begonias each year.
“I miss you, Mom, though your spirit lingers –
sometimes I still hear your voice;
you always hear mine.
“My confidante you’ll always be.
When I share my innermost thoughts in prayer,
I feel your heart next to mine.
“Giver of life, comforter, source of wisdom,
Mom, you blessed me with so much joy.
I spoke to you in my youth; I speak to you now.
“On angel wings my words are delivered to heaven.
I know you listen;
I just know.”

Though many songs are written of angels
I must add to the empire
This small hymn to a woman, a champion of life
Nameless here, but named in all things good and pure
I'll stand beside her work, her artistry astounds the stars
And all light that is given is humbled in her presence
Every worry is smoothed away, all tears absolved
God, let me take her sadness into me and carry it for her
Until I am old, and then I'll have my chance to see her once more
I am not a religious man, but she brings the divine to me
And cradles me forever in her selfless, adoring arms
I love you mother, I love you
I will always love you

For the most part I’m
still getting around
I may not have time
to myself
I love my parents
and they have been
fighting their own
battles as of late
I have been helping
my dad through
the pains of rheumatoid
arthritis in his knee
In so much pain
he cries and he
can barely get
enough sleep
Mom has been dealing
with severe depression
to the point she is
not motivated to do anything
All she wants to do
is sleep away the day
Sometimes she just cries
On top of all this
she suffers her own
aches and pains
I try my best to
help my parents the
best I know how
I love them both
I pray for them
everyday
I help with household chores
I help put their food
together when they are too
tired or in too much pain
to even move
I do the grocery shopping
I help fix things I know
how to fix
I do this on top of a
full time job to help
with the bills
I’m alive and doing well
but if you don’t see
me for awhile you know why
I will drop by when I can
but for right now my
parents are first and
foremost

sometimes i talk to myself,
my mind is racing,
i dont know what to do...
so hard to explain.
depression isn't a stage
or a faze some kids go through
it shatters you...
i saw it all.
she cried silent in her bed,
blood stains covered her favorite jeans,
her every shirt,
long sleeve ofcourse...
she suffered through it all with few people to call friend
and more to call enemy
even more to say where quite dissappointed....
FAT
her first name in school,
not started by a bully
or a mean rival,
but by her sister,
and it echoed through her soul,
repeating in her mind... over and over again,
like the ripples of still water
when a pebble is dropped
flash frozen in time
repeating,
over and over again...
It was the first name they gave her,
millions where created over the years,
some unique
some repeating again, just as the first had..
gothic they called her,
emo, fat, ugly....worse things.
but in her mind, things where worse.
everything was repeating,
over and over again,
finally she believed it.
she asked for help, from everyone
tried to explain to parents she wasnt well,
got called a psycho for asking to see a theripist,
not from a teacher,
not from a class mate,
but from her own father, who wouldn't, couldn't,
believe there could possibly be a thing wrong....
finally, crying, she confessed her bloody secret to a teacher.
rather then giving her time,
she is sent back to class crying her eyes out, as if she wherent going through enough...
she is sent to the principals office a few minutes later, after breaking down in class...
the princlipal says she needs help,
sends her and her dad for a risk evaluation,
her dads crying as she shows him her cuts...
they walk into a hospital room,
it smells of chemicals and hand sanitizer,
the lady at the desk gives her a smile.
then she goes into a room with a lady,
her cheeks are sunken in and shes wearing way too much makeup,
the girl is gaging on her perfume,
and she looks really intimidating....
her dark brown hair looks dead and flat
even though its a bit wavy,
and she wears somewhat of a mocking frown.
asks her all these questions,
is mommy beating her?
no
is daddy raping her?
no
is she doing drugs?
not alot
is anyone beating her?
pass...
did anyone molest her?
pass....
oxcarbezapine, trazadone, citalipran, clinazapam, colonipan,
valium, lithium, more.......
and thats what they gave her,
more...
some numbed the pain
some brought it out
tearing through her organs,
she became an addict by the time she was fourteen....
over dose after over dose
some for pleasure
some for pain,
gashes on her legs getting deeper,
this time she didnt tell a soul,
not even those she had come to call friends....
wakeup she screamed in her head over and over again
as she dropped weight like it was nothing....
you cant controll it she argued as things became worse.
at age fourteen she attempted suicide,
she didnt quite succeed.
the medication took away her aappitite....
she liked it
she hated her body
hated herself
felt out of controll
found a new way to cope
as she shoved tooth brush after toothbrush down her throat
to keep her body from nuitrients...
as she whent weeks and weeks spitting food into napkins and making excuses
I ate at my friends house....
spoken as a whisper
heard like a sentance
echoing in her mind over and over again,
along with that word, all the words,
FAT!!!!!!
ugy, anoying, stupid, fake, worthless, nothing...
one bite she would say
rocking back and forth
craving nothing but food
her body racked with hunger pain
one bite and there she was again
FAT!
over and over and over again
back to a toothbrush
this time she sees blood
she saw her ribs
she saw her bones,
it wasnt good enough,
she almost died, again....
choking on this deep dissappointment in herself,
gaging on everything they where pushing down her throat,
their words, and their insults, their criticism.... their drugs
all shoved down her throat like candy
and just as she was was trained to do she swallowed despite the bad taste
or the hurt
or the fact that at the rate she was going she would be dead soon...
and you know why?
because daddy yelled
and couldnt accept what was happening
not because he wanted to hurt her
but because it hurt him,
and she let him believe,
because she could take the hurt if it meant he didnt have too.
because mommy didnt want to sit in her room all day
smoking weed
doing nothing,
practically having us raise ourselves,
she didnt mean to take anger, or frustration or hurt out on her daughter
she suffered everyday in her solitary confinement,
and from a young age she accepted her bedroom was the cage
her mother had created for herself.
because sister didnt want to effect her the way she did
she was just frustrated
fed up with the way things where
scared, she needed someone to take her cruelty
and to help heal her pain...
because people in school
who where so cruel
had to have learned from somewhere
and she wasnt going to play into their games,
and they knew she was an easy target
because she would never attack someone so weak
and she accepted her suffering was a sacrafice
to help all these people....
to help her dad,
her mom,
her sister,
every person who was beaten abused or hurt
and felt so weak at home they wanted to feel strong in the one safe place they had.
because depite the fact she had died inside,
and almost passed away on the out,
it was a saccrafice she was willing to make
so that no one else would have to feel that kind of pain,
and they all inflicted it and broke her down'untill there was nothing left but a shell
of somthing that could have been
and never had the chance
and why?
because she would take it and wouldnt strike back,
because sometimes "just taking it"
isnt so much about the weakness not to do anything
but about the strangth not to hurt others the way they hurt you...

A solitary piece the diamond
precious rare gem most treasured
by those lucky enough to hold
Once in possession it is rarely out of grasp
Like the gemstone the mother
requires very specific conditions
in holding fast her (family/) childrens love
Treasured forever in her heart
she will go out of her way
to preen and protect them
holding them dear to her
deep within her maternal safe – the heart
closely guarded by the mind
Her infatuation of all treasures to her
are totally understandable
especially when you think to the complexity
of structure and process taken in creation
Just as from the ‘unbreakable’ in ancient greek
this allotrope of carbon
with strength of bonding between atoms
is representative of that strong love
between mum and child
The maternal being could be compared
to the superlative physical qualities of the stone
Even the characteristic luster
of this gem so prevalent from its ability
to disperse light and colour
compared to the many strengths
roles and qualities of the mother
seen by the many she deals with daily
A most high pressured job
versus the high pressured temperature
within the Earths mantle
that forms the delightful rock it gives birth to
Infants delight and ignite the forbearer
just as the jewel would dazzle the room
a mother’s love encaptures the magical luster
of those she’s birthed and nothing
stands inbetween this richest of cargo’s

My curfew according to my mom is, “before the sun goes down!”
She never gives me the time to meet with friends and hang around
My dad on the other hand lectures me in Korean
He still doesn’t realize that I literally cannot understand him
He might as well be talking in Japanese and his english is ‘berry weak’
These are the reasons why we don’t really speak
Dinner’s always the same, no taco Tuesday or leftover Monday involved
Every meal is eaten with rice- but one time we had mashed pot- just kidding that’s never happened at all
Brown rice, white rice, skinny rice, fat rice, guess we got some variety there
Mom says, “Be grateful, there are starving children everywhere”
Come to think of it, a family meal at McDonald’s is something we’ve never had
Guess that means all my meals are very sad
Neither parent wants to give me the independence that I need
But I won’t complain for I’m afraid mother will hit me
Like a bird I want to explore the world
But my strict Korean parents clipped my wings- they might be disturbed
So I spend my time visualizing the world through the T.V.
Never had cable cause cable’s ‘not pree’
Netflix is what I got, a blessing I love having
Bob’s Burgers, Parks & Rec, and The Office keep me laughing
My mom finds it annoying, my dad doesn’t get the puns
He’s always asking me how people sitting in an office can make me laugh so much
On another note, high school parties, are wild and pretty cray
I wouldn’t know, I’ve never gotten an invite, but my parents would never let me go anyways
I check the snapchats of my friends, they’re out bowling at 1:35 am
If it weren’t for my parents, then I would be out with them
No matter what I do, my parents just can’t see
That they’re Kim Jong Un and I’m a helpless North Korean trying to break free

I see you
Do you see me peeking at you
From behind the rose bush?
Look at your lovely hair - a tousled mess
Those eyes, gleaming in the afternoon sunlight
I pull on your apron strings
Perchance a small smile
Oh no! Not a frown from you
I see you
Did you know that I was watching you
When you were busy making chocolate cake?
Just look at your sweet face
Flour on your nose and cheek
I squeeze your arm tightly
Mayhaps I get the spoon
Thank you for keeping me close
I see you
You don't know that I am looking at you
Wrapped up in your blanket
So cozy and warm - a quiet nod
A peaceful time for you
Can hardly wait for you to waken
I'll find a hiding place
So I can watch again

The moon so bold seems cold
with a halo of midnight glow
I sit mesmerized as the night grows old.
I bleed still, even after all these years
and I wait again through the night
aching in the depths of my soul
that no other seems to know
the Loneliness that has become my companion.
In the darkness we wait and confide in the other
our deepest fears as memories fade
in and out each season of change
the nostalgia tempers the wars of pain
this tempestuous foe of ours
wails at the gates of midnight
howling the warble of humanities last grace.
How the comfort of minds and hearts
turn from light to deep dark in the face
of eternities long time clock...
I ache with wanting, with need and passion
it is a lie that time heals and wounds scar
each night is fresh like the first
when I faced realities shock.
Who can wait with me?
Who can hold this hound at bay?
Who can cherish what little love left in me
and make the broken whole?
I ache to be loved again as the love that burns
and waits inside of me.
Who can comfort this emptiness and fill the void
that so many leavings have left?
Cherish and love to honor and protect
but who can slay these demons that hold my heart in wrath?
Who will walk the sulfur clouds of hell to save my mind
and deliver my world to the gates of heaven
with life, not death bridging the distance of pain?
I sit and wait at the floor of the moon each night
waiting for that bridge to carry me yonder,
this moon who hangs heavy and ripe with the yearning of my soul
with clouds aglow as if I could sweep them across a canvas
with the brush held in your hand
I rage at her as I wait, but still I wait and weep
as Loneliness and I keep each others company
wishing the clouds of that great moon could truly create
a way to find the lost, a pathway to home, lit by the legacy our love.
Internal rhyme
Imagery
Assonance
Alliteraton
Repetition
Synesthesia

Lift your gaze upwards daughter of the sun,
Feel its enveloping warmth upon your ivory skin,
Allow the melting star shine to wash over thee,
And be at one with the mornings dawning.
Enlightenment’s sister arise, inhale the evergreen
Fragrances of nature in all its raw wonderment, for you live
Within the circle of life, and are among the spiritual
Kindred known as humanity.
Oh gentle spirit hush, listening to the splendor of
Loving, remember the touch of the golden moments,
And cherish them within your silvery locks of age.
Precious is this treasure box, held deeply within our
Fragile human hearts, tender angel of light you are
The delicate rose frozen in a timeless repose,
Leaving petals of friendship in your shadow footprints
Behind thee.
Softly thy tears of the spring rain of sorrow falls upon
The roof tops of pain, emotions thunderstorms of summer
Rush against your shield of endurance, yet you will prevail,
For with every challenge of the seasons makes us stronger,
Even in our age of winter.
Life’s waltz plays in tune with the ticking of time, spread forth
Your gown of beauty, let thy shifts blow wild and freely,
Enjoy the rheum’s spell cast, for we are the spiritual kindred
Of the heavenly transcended, unique, individual, a muse unto
The angels of God’s kingdom beyond these our earthly bonds.
Come the day that thee shall sway in the cradle of the universe
Once more, I’ll morn for thee, and yet celebrate thy testament of
Your life always.
Alone we enter unto a cold world, nurtured by the guiding hands
Of our loved ones, a child grows bundled in love and warmth,
Strong a lady now stands holding others hands within hers,
Yielding all that makes her human unto the generations of loving.
Lift your gaze upwards daughter of the sun,
Feel its enveloping warmth upon your ivory skin,
Allow the melting star shine to wash over thee,
And be at one with the mornings dawning.
BY: CHERYL ANNA DUNN

She's the one who carried you in thy womb.
Every day she counts until you grew.
A happiest moment she ever had,
Is when she first touched your little hands.
She's the one in charged to everything.
Twenty-four-seven,her duty never ends.
Do the house chores,nanny and cook.
Doesn't receive salary for her hardwork.
She's the one who kept tears in the night.
Just to assure a family will keep in sight.
She endures all heaviness this life has bring.
To keep her children away from fears.
She's the one gives unconditional love.
Forgive our sin, no matter how it hurts her heart.
She has a bag full of smiles.
A hug and kiss is all that she wants.
As she gets old, please love her back.
Repay her hardworks and multi tasks.
Take care the way she did for us.
We'll be a mom too,and do what she does.
~~ Dedicated to all Souper MOMs~~
**HAPPY Souper MOMS DAY!!!! **

Tears too much in which you bleed
Heart aches toll, low sub's breathing
For then, in them, is shown in your skin
May it be brushed over
So it may sit to seep in this pale face
For you're in health
But yet sick in your emotions
Too close you can not bare now, today,
tomorrow, or again in yesterday's
For your pain is nearly not bared
I pray for you and your sister when weeping
Hopping that you will not drown in all sorrows
But cry when times are closed
Mother is all, not yet lost, for her heart lives inside yours
Knowing of a passing before it happens isn't so strong
But the second it comes, she goes and all weights toll
Heavy your heart is, you carry it like the ones in that room
All seems silent till a sob is heard
Hear at this event, the dark colors are all in the lights
The cold faces all glow so bright
For this woman has brought life into the minds
that breathed well before her time
To a loss like this, I would not bare
Alone I would feel, to a special youth that I still endore
For she is what's left of me; whom I may speak to, and
whom would listen
As to you and your family, may you all lay close to her
May you breathe the way she has breathed
May you all see what she has seen
And may you hear all things she has heard
Her passing does not make your separation,
it only draws you closer
For the day of her event, bless her soul's crossing
for she stands in the clouds
Smiling above all your scene's
In hopes that you will all remember that she is still
there even through these means
I pray for you and your family to give potency and healing
To rejoice on the day she rose on cloud nine
And touched God's face
For this moment do hot dwell in the loss
Cry long but not for ever and remember
her years journey that she has completed
She is in thy safest place and thy hearts of whom she loved

It took me hours and hours on the bus to arrive Mother,
and by the time I got to your tomb the red rose I picked
was wilted but still full of love. I have things to tell you Mom.
Sad things and happy things, things only you would understand.
Sitting on the grass amongst the tombs I trace your beautiful
name with my finger. And I remember . . .
all the times at the kitchen table when I told you my
worries and you listened and did not say a word until I finished.
And I would ask, Mom what should I do? Then you would say,
you know what to do . . .
Why did you always know what was in my heart and soul. Oh, the
countless times you sat upon the edge of my bed as I wept
over some silly thing. And those days in the garden when we
planted flowers and I told you of my day and dreams.
And how deeply we cried . . .
together when my baby died. Our hearts broken and forever
melted together. And even now, Mom, I imagine whispering
in your ear whenever I need you, I can almost hear your sweet
voice saying, you know what to do. I taught you well daughter,
so you could follow your own path . . .
________________________________
May 4, 2015
Free Verse
For the contest, Mom's Ear, sponsor, Craig Cornish
First Place

I love you dad,
Not because of the sweet deep voice
Not because of the angelic heart
Not because of the shelter and food
Not because of bills you clear
Not because of because
I love you dad,
so much,
Because you love mom

Happy birthday, Mom
I wonder how many years have passed by
Since I gave you my first tenuous smile
Since you steadied my first faltering step
Since the first time I called you "Mommy"
You are the place I came from
You are my first home
You are an angel in human form
Who lives inside my laughter
And crystallized in my every tear drop
I want to thank you
For your heart, faith and hope
For teaching me right from wrong
For your tender care and warm hugs
For all your steadfast love
For filling my days with rainbow lights
For all the times we have shared
For always being there in my time of need
For helping me deal with life's stresses
For helping me accept my defeats
For everything you have done
For you made me a woman I am
One birthday after another
They seem faster each year
I just want you to know that
The years you devoted to me,
You can trust, were worthwhile.
Happy Birthday, Mom.
You are the best Mom a daughter could have.
~For my Mom's B'day @July 12

Mama, I saw you in my dreams..
Your face lit up as I see you...
I remember how you protect me..
I remember how you tuck me as i want to sleep..
I remember how you hold me when i'm sick..
I remember how you smiled when i succeed..
And how you cry each time I'm broken...
Mama, I miss you...
I don't say, i love you much...
But I put it in many ways...
I want you be proud of me...
I want you not be scared of me...
Trust me, I can manage & pass any storm..
Trust me, I'll not give up..
Trust me, I am no child no more
Trust me, I'm putting into actions what you want me to be...
Mama, I wish we shared more hugs...
I wish we had more strolls...
I wish we sang more songs..
I wish we do gardening again..
I wish, I'll make your pastries again...
Mama, my only mama
I love you in thousand ways..
Carrying me nine months carefully...
Please on your birthday..
Be happy and merry...
I am your second daughter..
Who have been loving you better and better...
by
olive_eloi
07/27/2013
12:25 pm
note: this poem is made and inspired by my mama, for whom have always been with me all the time and who have never stopped loving me.. thank you ma...
CONTEST: POEM FOR MOMMY
SPONSOR: LEONORA GALINTA
2ND PLACE (TO GOD THE GREATEST GLORY)

I AM ALIVE!
Your mistake, my creation
In truth I am just speck
Flowering obliviously in your gut
Does that mean distraction?
My heart now beats
And I bear fits filled with my future
Waiting to be unleashed to the world unknown,
With my eyes wide shut
I imagine you to try and picture you
I hear you speak, I hear you laugh
Isn’t that the perfect lullaby?
My legs kick hard but you try to hide:
One night’s extravaganza
All under your T-shirt
Like it’s all in a day’s work
Don’t you want me mommy?
I am the gift you never asked for
But then life is to die for.
How I wish to write to Santa,
Have him deem my innocence
Before he awards me with my gift
I get life for Christmas?
Afford me the chance to be!
I am alive I breath through you.

My past is a reoccurring nightmare.
This cycle is never broken.
My heart is filled with poison,
So are your veins.
Chains hang off of me as I try to break free.
I have lost myself somewhere within the years.
Age crept up slowly, and I started to see my life;
It was not what I had expected.
With every whisper of ‘I love you’,
Another crack spread across my delicate soul.
Hardened by the years of abuse;
Nothing can hurt me now.
Stripped from my innocence;
My confidence shattered like broken glass.
There is no escaping this.
I feel alone and unloved.
I was taken off guard,
Your words were a promise of security;
Hope amongst a sea of sorrow.
You were just another lie.
Depression doesn’t sum up my pain.
Death would not heal it,
For I have responsibilities;
I have people who need me.
I long for the day that this rotation ends.
I can be loved for being myself.
I will be taken care of.
I will be yours.

I was laying on the beach
On a hot August morn
A sudden pain in my gut
I knew that something was wrong
It's Eddie. I felt it so strong
I Picked up my cell and I called
The emotional pain of it all
My body curled up in a ball
I sat up again to be sure,
the solar plexus was sore
Why to I question these signs
I know that there isn't a cure
For the feelings I want to ignore
He never answered the phone
I packed up my stuff and went home
I worried all day and all night
The sunrise brought more than just light
The loud banging began at the door
I peeked through the blinds to be sure
There were cops all over the street
Guns drawn made the picture complete
I opened the door full of fear
Oh my God! Why are they here?
My heart dropped, I wanted to hide
When he said "Sgt. White, homicide."
Is your son home he wanted to know
With his foot in the door I said no
Do you mind if we just have a look
And I backed up after biting the hook
They swarmed through the house
Guns up in the air
Upstairs to his room
They looked everywhere
My solar plexus was right
I'm glad I came home last night
But where did he go? I needed to know
His innocence still in my sight
The officer said have a seat
Let's talk about where he could be
A boy was found dead in the street
A witness put Ed at the scene
Don't worry he said as I pulled my robe tight
Your son was a victim of robbery last night
I know he's afraid to come out in the light
I didn't believe him. But I knew he was right.
My son was afraid and now I knew why
He took someone's life who's mother will cry
He was just seventeen a year younger than Ed
Why do these kids seem to be so misled?
What happened that night is a mom's biggest fear
A child was lost in the drug war I hear
The exchange in the alley of weed for the cash
Was a set up to rob him of all that he had
When the kid put a gun against my son's head
Said 'empty your pockets' or soon you'll be dead
He had no idea that the pocket was packed
With a 38 special protecting the cash
The rest of story is packed in a box
The panic, the fear, the action, the shock
He emptied the gun and ran for his life
While Nicholas bled on the pavement that night
My heart cries to God asking why must I be
The mom of the kid who killed her baby
I cry for her loss as if it were mine
I beg her forgiveness, and I offer her mine.
You don't want to be either one of these moms
Our children at risk, a sign of the times
God please shine Your light on this good Earth today
We're all human beings who've just lost our way.

When your fledgling heart is breaking
and tears silently start to fall...
mothers hear.
When you whisper of secret loves
suppressing muffled cries of joy...
mothers hear.
When lies are rehearsed in your mind
and before you utter a word...
mothers hear.
When you struggle to stifle screams
entombed in a cone of silence...
mothers hear.
When you learn to laugh at yourself
and take life less seriously...
mothers hear.
When you mumble I love you mom
and the words come straight from your heart...
mothers hear.

Like those bones in the valley
My life was scattered all over
Each person that came in my life
cut a little piece of me and left with it
Each cut piece left a deep wound
And i was left in a pool of blood
Rotting in my own world
Dieing between thumbs like a tick
Then he came
Found me in tatters of shame
Like garbage on the street
Piece after piece he picked me up
The Lord Jesus
gathered me together
a pillar of rejected junk
He looked at my shy eyes and smiled
That day his love started to heal me
wound after wound
pain after pain
And all the shame was gone
Then he brought you
To deal with this trauma
He knew a mom was the best
He brought you to shine hope to a dark soul
God knew its you that would touch
The scars and never create wounds again
He wanted me to know that with Him all things are possible
So he brought you mom
Your love is pure
I have been drawn more to Christ
And i know now
He has gathered all my scattered pieces
Dedicated to Cinda Carter

Entering the cave of a wide open mouth
Pulling on the slippery uvula
Reaching for the nasal cavity
Taking a breath before leaping for the eye socket
Where I view the world that plows the field of future
Then taking dirt road veins to a house on 123 east Sycamore
Where Under the bed in my room is a cranial box of treasure
Opening the box exposes the parietal cortex
A single mother loving four children
A family of five on welfare
A mother in and out of the hospital
A ten year old boy visits mom on Sunday
A confused orphan on Monday
A mother enters holy sleep at thirty-five years of age
I love you mom
My son KJ often asks of you
As I close this box and return to the dirt road of veins, now paved
My moist cave will echo, only the love of a mother
=======================================
I miss my mother on special occasions in my life, and often wonder what things would be
like if she still lived? However I have been blessed to have known her and I live a
prosperous life for which I'm thankful for.....

Dear mum
I’m sorry faith didn’t give us
Much time together
For I long
Every time I sit at a table
For your delicacious
Meals
For every time I see
A mother and child
I can’t help but wish
It were us
Every time I receive a hug
I wish it was from you
Every time I pick up
A picture of you
I wish you would talk to me
Every time I pick up
Your clothing
I wish I could see you in them
When I close my eyes
I see your face
Smiling at me
When I look in the mirror
I see you staring back at me
When I listen
To the song of the wind
I hear a string of your voice
Lingering
Of course
I love these things all
And treasure them
But I’ll also like to
Have the others
I’m selfish
And will love to have
Them all
Everything you is
Always welcome
I’ll never run out of space
For you.

My mama, my soldier
my comfort, my shoulder
to cry on, my boulder
I rely on I've told her
Nothing can replace the person that created you
someone there to help you no matter what you're going through
Someone who formed the person you became
someone who has sheltered you through waves and waves of rain
I can't say it enough, I love you with my whole heart
you're there to put me back together every time I fall apart
My mama, my soldier
my comfort, my shoulder
to cry on, my boulder
I rely on I've told her
Mama I hope I forever make you proud
but you know I'll always test your patience as much as I'm allowed
I know that you've forgiven all the stupid **** I've done
and you've dealt with so much stress to ensure my childhood was fun
I'm forever grateful for everything you've sacrificed for me
I hope I am that apple that didn't all far from the tree
My mama, ya dove you
put no one above you
life might push and shove you
but I'll always love you
My mama, my soldier
my comfort, my shoulder
to cry on, my boulder
I rely on I've told her

At old age you chose to risk again
The pain of begetting a child in your sixties
You chose to give love to another soul in the world
Papa doesn’t know what is going on
But there is something going on
You just don’t know how to say it
It has happened and you cant deny it
Another child is coming
Like Sarah you don’t understand this
How possible can it be?
Yet you believe
With God all things are possible
You feel it and you can now see all the signs
You are expecting
The pain knocks
You bite your lip
With your hands
Hold your tummy
With a twist
And strength
It has been long since you last went through this
There is nothing like experience
Pain is pain
Each pain is dynamic
It’s the same pain but different
Papa knows now
You are about to deliver
He puts down his cup of tea
Forgets his hat
Because of the noise
He knows that sound
As each inch of your muscle tightens
Your scream is heard in the city
Its like you are pulling your lip
over your head
sweating and panting
You realize it now done
A smile of victory shines on your face
News spread
A poet
Has given birth to a poetry tot
And its
A baby boy
Born to the Carter
Mazel tov! Cinda

FRAGILE
I watched my mother
Beautiful, petite, smart
Widowed at 28 with three small children
And people said, "Be extra good, your mother is fragile."
A blonde Jackie Kennedy,
Right down to the pill-box hat
The early 60s when women were pretty, songless birds
Protected in their husbands' split-level cages.
Remarry was the only way, "they" said
As she ran for public office, favored to win.
But he wouldn't have a wife that worked
Unless ironing his shorts three times to get it "right."
Glass is fragile. I found that out
As I heard him smashing it when he beat her at night.
Bones are fragile. I found that out
When mommy had broken fingers and toes after loud nights.
My mother was many things.
A victim. A woman. But fragile?
Mommy bird sang a song of invincibility
As she escaped her cage with five children in tow.
I have two girls of my own. Smart.
Beautiful. Compassionate. I am proud.
They know that fragile means breakable
And that women in our family are more steel than glass.
Fragile is for collectibles we buy and sell.
My mother taught me we cannot be owned.
Fragile is for birds without a voice.
But my mother sang, even if in a different key.
My mother was the strongest woman I ever knew.
I hope she looks down on her female descendants
And sees that one Jackie-like woman in a pill box hat
Inspired generations of decidedly non-fragile women.
January 26, 2017

You are there every day
When I wake up in the morning sun
To when I fall asleep staring at the
Full moon
I know that I am so lucky
To have someone like you
How I ended up with you
I really don’t know
When you talk
Your words so smooth
You make the stars hush
I will never know
How I ended up with
Someone like you
Sometimes too nice
And sometimes too stubborn
To see what exactly what you mean to me
You have my heart and I think I have part of yours
I can’t believe I ended up with
Someone like you
I love you more than the stars themselves
I need somebody to remind me what love really is
Good thing I have
Someone like you